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Regnum Christi

All Souls Day
November 2, 2006

We are all pilgrims on earth.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Father Michael Sliney, LC

John 11:17-27
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

Introductory Prayer:
My mind is focused today on the souls of the departed. Christ, I know that one day, I will become one of those souls. Then I will spend eternity with you in heaven contemplating your greatness. My time with you today in prayer is but a foreshadowing of our eternity together. I love you Lord and value our time together. Help me to grow in grace so that I may persevere in my love for you.

Petition:
Lord, I pray in a special way today for the faithful departed. Relieve their suffering and allow them to experience eternal happiness with you in heaven.

1. The Reality of Death. Lazarus, a good friend of Jesus, died. The catechism states: “Death is the end of earthly life. Our lives are measured by time, in the course of which we change, grow old and, as with all living beings on earth, death seems like the normal end of life. That aspect of death lends urgency to our lives: remembering our mortality helps us to realize that we have only a limited time in which to bring our lives to fulfillment” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1007).

2. Our Faith in the Resurrection. But Lazarus was given the special grace of a second chance. He was raised from the dead as a symbol to all of us of our future resurrection. We are all pilgrims on earth; our true citizenship lies in heaven. As we journey through this valley of tears, we need to remember that our final goal is heaven. We need to keep our eyes focused on Christ. Our life does not end here. Death does not have the final word.

3. Pray and Sacrifice for the Dead! We need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. As Christians, this is an obligation that we should take very seriously. “Today we remember all the deceased faithful. The liturgy invites us to pray for all our loved ones who have passed away, turning our thoughts to the mystery of death, common heritage of all people. Illuminated by faith, we look at the human enigma of death with serenity and hope. According to Scripture, the latter in fact is not an end but a new birth, it is the imperative passage through which the fullness of life may be attained by those who model their earthly existence according to the indications of the Word of God (Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, November 2, 2005).

Dialogue with Christ:
Thank you Lord Jesus, for reminding me to keep the end in mind. Help all the souls in purgatory reach heaven quickly. I pray for them and will offer up sacrifices today to help them reach heaven.

Resolution:
I will pray and sacrifice for the souls of the faithful departed.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	God Will Help Us Finish, If We Let Him
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Thursday, November 2, 2006

Job 19:1, 23-27 / Cor 15:51-57 / Jn 6:37-40

Sooner or later most of us have the experience of watching a loved one move through his or her final days and then pass from this earth. It can be a tremendously sad process for those who are about to be left behind and who know in advance the loneliness that will be theirs. But in most cases there’s a marvelous and touching aspect of the process as well, and that is watching our dying friend progressively letting go of all sorts of things that don’t count, old baggage in the form of grievances, fears, doubts, and so much more. It’s a grace for the bystanders to watch that happen, and it presses us to let go of our own baggage sooner rather than later.

Yet, even the best of us, even the saints, leave this life with at least a little bit of unfinished business and a bit of left over baggage. And that’s why we Catholics pray for the dead. Our prayers are not aimed at changing God’s mind about our departed friends. God’s mind doesn’t need any changing. His love for us is unchanging, and he’s always ready and waiting to welcome home even the worst of us.

No, our prayers are for the deceased themselves, that they will relax in the Lord and let the Lord help them let go of what remains of their old baggage, and help them finish what is unfinished in them. For those whose hearts are loving and trusting of the Lord, it will come naturally to open their hearts and let the Lord in. For those of us whose hearts are more ambivalent and in the habit of withholding trust, the work will be more difficult.

So hold in prayer all the deceased whom you love, and look to your own heart, that it may be open and welcoming to each of God’s people now. This day and every day are dress rehearsals for that final day when you will give back your heart to the One who gave it to you.

May your heart be true and open and ready this day and always.